MY HOUSE
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Israelis who otherwise fully partici-
pate in Israeli society, including serv-
ing in the army, are not considered
Jewish according to Halachah (since
the "Jewishness" of their mother or
grandmother is in question) and are
therefore not eligible to marry in
Israel (or be buried in Jewish cemeter-
ies).
Other categories of Israelis who
cannot be married in modern-day
Israel include: a kohen who wishes
to marry a divorcee; a kohen and a
convert; same-sex couples; Israelis
who wish to be married in a non-
Orthodox ceremony; and those who
wish to marry a "person of no reli-
gion" or of "questionable Halachic
background."
Increasingly, Israelis are voting
with their feet in response to such
untenable restrictions and to a reli-
gious authority that is perceived
as irrelevant at best to their daily
lives and to their Jewish identity.
Approximately 20 percent of Israelis
choose to marry outside of Israel
(including the son of Michael Oren,
the current ambassador to the U.S.)
to avoid marriage under the author-
ity of the Orthodox Rabbinate.
Cyprus is the venue of choice for
most, due to its proximity; in fact,
there is a booming "marriage busi-
ness" for Israelis, with great package
deals. (Ironically, Israelis who marry
in civil marriages outside of Israel
can be registered by the Ministry
of the Interior as a married couple;
however, such couples must go
through the Orthodox Rabbinate if
they wish to obtain a divorce.)
Moreover, a growing number of
Israelis are choosing not to marry at
all, rather than subject themselves to
the requirements of the Rabbinate,
which include intrusive questions
about personal religious observance
that many secular Israelis would pre-
fer to avoid.

Why It Matters
Why does this matter to those of
us who live outside of Israel? First
and foremost, Israel presents
itself (and many of us regard it)
as the nation-state of the Jewish
people. If Israel is to represent
the entire Jewish people, then
it cannot discount 85 percent
of diaspora Jews who subscribe
to a different interpretation of
Jewish tradition than the tra-
ditional Orthodox version. By
rejecting Reform, Conservative
and Reconstructionist marriag-
es in Israel (and conversions
by all three streams outside of
Israel), Israel is rejecting the
majority of diaspora Jews who

follow a different Jewish path.
Moreover, the "status quo" regard-
ing marriage has a direct effect upon
aliyah. As long as Jews who emigrate
to Israel have their authenticity as
Jews questioned or even denied
(sometimes years after such individu-
als have made aliyah, married and
raised a family), then fewer Jews will
be encouraged to align their future
with that of the Jewish state.
For American Jews who have
depended upon the separation of
religion and state as the keystone
to our acceptance and prosperity in
this country, the stranglehold that
the Orthodox Rabbinate has on our
Israeli brethren is simply untenable.
Fortunately, the growing senti-
ment in Israel is trending toward civil
marriage. Hopefully, Israelis will take
advantage of the current political situ-
ation to liberate themselves and set
a course of inclusiveness for all Jews.
Such a move toward freedom of choice
in marriage will increase Israelis' reli-
gious options and strengthen Jewish
identity in the Jewish state. ❑

GRADUATION
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INDIVIDUAL AS
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Susie Gelman is immediate past
president of the Jewish Federation of
Greater Washington and co-chair of the
November 2013 General Assembly of
the Jewish Federations of North
America in Jerusalem. She
is part owner of the
Washington Jewish
Week.

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With the impending retirement of U.S.
Sen. Carl Levin, who has been a staunch
supporter of Israel during his more than
30 years in office, Michigan's voters will
soon have the opportunity to send a new
senator to Washington, D.C. In preparation
for that election, study the positions on
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especially his/her view on Israel and
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and other materials.

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Prepared by Allan Gale, Jewish
Community Relations Council of
Metropolitan Detroit

© May 2013, Jewish Renaissance Media

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